# 1972 NAIA Division II football season

The 1972 NAIA Division II football season was the 17th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA and the third season of play of the NAIA's lower division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1972 and culminated in the 1972 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played on December 9, 1972, in Joplin, Missouri on the campus of Missouri Southern State College.
The Missouri Southern Lions defeated the Northwestern Red Raiders in the championship game, 21–14, to win their first NAIA national title. As of 2015, this was the earliest championship to feature a team that remains a NAIA member.

## Conference standings

1972 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings :
| 1972 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Carthage $ 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 No. 16 Millikin 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Augustana (IL) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Carroll (WI) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Elmhurst 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Illinois Wesleyan 4 –4 –04 –5 –0 North Park 2 –5 –12 –6 –1 Wheaton (IL) 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 North Central (IL) 0 –7 –10 –7 –2 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1972 Frontier Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Montana Tech + 3 –1 –06 –3 –0 Carroll (MT) + 3 –1 –04 –3 –0 Western Montana 2 –2 –03 –5 –0 Rocky Mountain 1 –3 –02 –6 –0 Eastern Montana 1 –3 –02 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1972 Gateway Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northland + 1 –0 –2 ? – ? –0 Northwestern (WI) + 1 –0 –2 ? – ? –0 Lakeland 1 –1 –14 –5 –1 Milton 0 –2 –14 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1972 Heart of America Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Ottawa $ 6 –1 –09 –1 –0 No. T–18 Missouri Valley 5 –2 –08 –2 –0 No. T–18 Graceland 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Central Methodist 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 William Jewell 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 Tarkio 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 College of Emporia 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Baker 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1972 Hoosier–Buckeye Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Bluffton $ 5 –2 –05 –4 –0 Findlay 4 –2 –15 –3 –1 Manchester (IN) 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Wilmington (OH) 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Taylor 3 –2 –23 –4 –2 Defiance 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Anderson (IN) 2 –4 –14 –4 –1 Hanover 2 –5 –04 –5 –0 Earlham 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1972 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 William Penn + 6 –1 –010 –1 –0 No. T–14 Buena Vista + 6 –1 –07 –2 –0 Central (IA) 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Dubuque 3 –3 –15 –4 –1 Luther 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Simpson (IA) 1 –4 –22 –5 –2 Upper Iowa 1 –5 –14 –5 –1 Wartburg 1 –6 –03 –6 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1972 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Friends $ 6 –1 –16 –3 –1 Sterling 5 –2 –15 –3 –1 St. Mary of the Plains 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 Bethany (KS) 4 –3 –14 –4 –1 Southwestern (KS) 4 –4 –04 –5 –0 Kansas Wesleyan 3 –4 –13 –5 –1 Tabor 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Bethel (KS) 3 –5 –03 –7 –0 McPherson 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1972 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Alma + 4 –1 –08 –1 –0 Adrian + 4 –1 –05 –4 –0 Hope 3 –1 –16 –2 –1 Olivet 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Kalamazoo 1 –3 –12 –5 –1 Albion 0 –5 –02 –7 –0 + – Conference co-championsRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1972 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Monmouth (IL) $ 8 –0 –09 –0 –0 Cornell (IA) 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 Knox 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 St. Olaf 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Ripon 5 –3 –05 –3 –0 Coe 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 Carleton 3 –5 –03 –5 –0 Lawrence 1 –6 –11 –6 –1 Grinnell 1 –7 –02 –7 –0 Beloit 0 –7 –10 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1972 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Gustavus Adolphus $ 6 –1 –06 –4 –0 No. 14 Saint John's (MN) 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 4 –3 –06 –3 –0 Minnesota–Duluth 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 3 –4 –06 –4 –0 Augsburg 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Hamline 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Macalester 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1972 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Doane $^ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 Concordia (NE) 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Midland 3 –2 –07 –2 –0 Nebraska Wesleyan 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Hastings 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Dana 0 –5 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1972 North Dakota College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Minot State + 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Valley City State + 4 –1 –05 –4 –0 Jamestown 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Wahpeton Science 2 –3 –0 ? – ? – ? Dickinson State 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Mayville State 0 –5 –01 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1972 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Linfield $ 6 –0 –06 –3 –0 No. 8 Pacific (OR) 5 –1 –08 –1 –0 Pacific Lutheran 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Lewis & Clark 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Willamette 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 College of Idaho 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Whitman 0 –5 –00 –8 –0 Whitworth *   –  7 –2 –0 $ – Conference champion * Played only two conference games, ineligible for championship Rankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1972 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern State $ 6 –0 –08 –2 –0 Huron 4 –2 –0 ? – ? – ? Dakota State 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Dakota Wesleyan 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 South Dakota Tech 3 –3 –03 –6 –0 South Dakota–Springfield 2 –4 –0 ? – ? – ? Black Hills State 0 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1972 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 17 Whittier $ 5 –0 –07 –2 –1 Redlands 4 –1 –05 –5 –0 La Verne 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Claremont-Mudd 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Occidental 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1972 Tri-State Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Northwestern (IA) $^ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 Westmar 4 –1 –05 –4 –0 Concordia (MN) 2 –3 –04 –4 –0 Bethel (MN) 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Sioux Falls 1 –4 –05 –4 –0 Yankton 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll | 1972 NAIA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Missouri Southern ^   –  12 –0 –0 No. 12 Geneva   –  8 –1 –0 No. 7 Westminster (PA)   –  7 –1 –0 No. 4 Franklin (IN) ^   –  8 –3 –0 Cal Lutheran   –  5 –5 –0 Simon Fraser   –  4 –5 –0 Eureka   –  2 –5 –1 Missouri Western   –  3 –7 –0 Texas Lutheran   –  3 –7 –0 Iowa Wesleyan   –  2 –6 –1 Azusa Pacific   –  2 –7 –0 Georgetown (KY)   –  2 –7 –0 Austin   –  1 –8 –0 Waynesburg   –  1 –8 –0 Grove City   –  0 –8 –0 Oklahoma Panhandle State   –  0 –11 –0 ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division II poll |

## Postseason

| Semifinals November 25, 1972 | Semifinals November 25, 1972 | Semifinals November 25, 1972 | Championship December 9, 1972 Joplin, MO | Championship December 9, 1972 Joplin, MO | Championship December 9, 1972 Joplin, MO |
| Doane | Doane | 6 | | | |
| Missouri Southern* | Missouri Southern* | 24 | | | |
| Missouri Southern* | Missouri Southern* | 24 | Missouri Southern* | Missouri Southern* | 21 |
| | | | Northwestern (IA) | Northwestern (IA) | 14 |
| Northwestern (IA) | Northwestern (IA) | 13 | Northwestern (IA) | Northwestern (IA) | 14 |
| Franklin (IN)* | Franklin (IN)* | 6 | | | |